Annex A. Request for information at a full inspection of a children’s home

Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 1 SC477205 Registered provider: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The local authority owns and runs this home. It provides accommodation for up to seven young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 September 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 26 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people engage well with a committed and dedicated staff team and make good progress. Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 2  Young people benefit from a purpose-built and well-maintained environment within the host borough. This helps to maintain good contact with specialist support services.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Outcomes for the young people are positive and include two successful moves on to semi-independent accommodation.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff strive to support young people to rebuild their relationships with their family and develop young people’s support networks.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Behavioural management is effective. Young people learn to discuss difficult incidents with staff, apologise and reduce their concerning behaviours.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home has undergone considerable change in staffing and management with minimal disruption to the care of young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Shifts are being scheduled without staff having the required first aid qualification.

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Key findings from this inspection

 New staff report that despite receiving good levels of management support that they are still to receive formal one-to-one supervision after being employed for two months.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Errors exist in the recording and handling of prescribed medication.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home is lacking key management documents, such as workforce and service development plans.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/09/2016 Full Good 01/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 15/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 01/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2) (a)) 01/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system of monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided to children. (Regulation 45 (2) (c)) 01/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4) (b)) 01/11/2017

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Recommendations

 Devise a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should: - detail the necessary management and staffing structure (including any staff Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 4 commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s Statement of Purpose; - detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); - detail the process for managing and improving poor performance.

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Recommendations

The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the home’s manager. This is also with reference to ensuring staff training in radicalisation and refresher training in safeguarding (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8,).

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Recommendations

 Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. Where the home has questions or concerns about a child’s medication, they should approach an expert such as a General Medical Practitioner, community pharmacist or designated nurse for looked-after children (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15). Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are happy in their home. One young person comments, ‘I like it here; it is so nice, they are good to me.’ They enjoy good relationships with staff and actively seek them out for shared activities, such as preparing the evening meal. In addition, young people enjoy a broad range of activities, including trips to the theatre and a recent holiday to the seaside with staff. Young people report enjoying the home’s close proximity to their support networks and schools; one comments ‘everything is just a short bus ride away’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This positive feedback is echoed by social workers. One social worker comments, ‘My young person is very well supported by staff who went above and beyond their roles in terms of compassion and support.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from a diverse staff team which has a unique mixture of age, ethnicity and life experience, which equips them to meet the complex range of needs of young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make progress in education. The home has good relationships with the local authority. It offers young people a number of creative schemes and educational opportunities in a variety of areas, such as media production and the performing arts. Each young person enjoys the support of an allocated teacher from within the local authority’s virtual school or education team. Where young people struggle to engage, staff provide gentle encouragement and incentives to promote self-confidence and increase the likelihood of sustained attendance. For older young people, if paid employment is their preferred option, this is accessed with full staff support. This supports raised levels of self-esteem and financial planning skills for young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Direct work with parents is a major strength of the home. Parents are encouraged to visit the home where appropriate and address any concerns, such as the possibility of bullying among young people, and discuss this with staff directly. Staff use good relationships with parents to broaden their understanding of family dynamics, inform risk assessments and help young people understand their difficult histories. Excellent direct work with parents recently supported an effective induction programme for a young person. Parents actively supported the plan to move the young person into the home. Their willingness reassured the young person concerned and allayed any anxieties.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The voice of young people is heard loudly. Young people enjoy routine access to independent advocacy and understand how to complain. When young people complain, managers offer a full written explanation to outline any outcome or decision. Young people are encouraged to contribute towards risk assessments and care plans. Regular residents meetings help plan the weekly menu and activity schedule. Minutes of the meetings are reviewed and considered by the staff team to ensure that the wishes and feelings of young people are captured and acted upon. Young people are offered the Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 6 opportunity of attending team meetings during the school holidays, increasing the openness and transparency within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Outcomes in the home are positive. One young person recently completed a planned move on to semi-independence. Managers use their good knowledge of local resources to assist young people to experience planned moves. Recently one young person elected to remain in the home as he did not feel confident enough to move on. He is now settled and focused on moving on at a future date.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Work on developing independent living skills is prioritised. Young people engage with staff on cooking and budgeting exercises. Key-work sessions clearly explain the dangers posed by the increased availability of alcohol and drugs outside of the home. One young person sat on an interview panel during a recent round of staff recruitment. This developed his self-confidence, awareness of incoming staff members and the demands posed by job interviews.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthy living is promoted. Young people enjoy access to a personal trainer and a mini gymnasium within the home. Staff emphasise the importance of regular exercise and healthy eating. Staff use cooking sessions to encourage young people to explore new fruits and vegetables, to good effect.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff administer medications appropriately. However, records relating to the giving of prescribed medicines showed one minor recording error. This mistake was quickly rectified and did not place young people at risk of harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people feel safe in their home and there are no reports of bullying. They recognise that staff are working together in their best interest. Young people support each other and build positive relationships with staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff advocate consistently on behalf of young people. Recently this involved challenging the recommendations for contact within a care plan. Young people recognise their positive input and this supports the establishment of trust with staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Risk assessments are thorough, well prepared and reflect key areas of risk, such as the sexual exploitation of young people. Risk assessments represent an analytical approach to the needs of young people. Assessments incorporate the observations of key work sessions to offer a vivid picture of the individualised needs of young people. Assessments identify risks early and offer clear guidance to staff as to what may trigger behaviours and the most appropriate form of response.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Behavioural management is effective. Staff work tirelessly with young people to explain their need to safeguard them. Staff provide young people with clear behavioural expectations. There is no use of restraint in the home. Staff think through the behaviour and consider what emotions or messages are being communicated by the young people concerned. Staff enforce boundaries with consistency, compassion and a nurturing Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 7 approach. When young people receive sanctions, these are restorative and linked to the behavioural incident, allowing for greater understanding and reflection. Young people learn how to reconcile their differences with staff support and in most cases work towards an apology and a recognition of their poor behaviours.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people benefit from a number of specialist services. They have access to the borough’s nurse for children in care and the in-house psychologist who offer support and guidance. Both professionals offer home visits, which increase the possibility of engagement and allow young people the chance to receive specialist support within the comfort of their own home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people reduce their risk-taking behaviour, such as running away from the home. Reduction strategies are supported by the local police. Each young person benefits from an individualised risk assessment. The strong relationships that exist between parents and key workers help to provide a joined-up approach to reducing such behaviour. Staff offer preventative measures by arranging activities at key times of vulnerability, such as at the weekend. When young people go missing from the home, staff ensure that they follow protocols and ensure the provision of independent return to care interviews.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Good multi-agency working supports a strong safeguarding culture. Recently staff worked in close cooperation with mental health professionals to avoid a hospital admission for one young person. Close staff supervision, a sound understanding of the relevant risk assessment and the regular sharing of key information, helped ensure the safety of the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has undergone considerable upheaval. Aside from the current registered manager, the whole staff team has changed. Two members of staff have moved from the borough’s other provision, which recently closed. Nine new members of staff have been appropriately recruited into the home. The registered manager plans to resign her position and move to support the new interim manager as deputy. The new interim manager commenced employment in June 2017. His application for registration is currently undergoing verification checks by Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The current registered manager was registered in July 2016 and is in full support of the proposed management changes. She was not present during the inspection; the interim manager was present throughout. He is a qualified social worker with a strong therapeutic background. This is the interim manager’s first position within residential care; however, he possesses good levels of management experience. He is well known within the borough and has a good understanding of the services available to young people. The interim manager reports a strong working relationship with the registered manager. The home is well supported by the regular scrutiny and input of the long- standing independent visitor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers are excited by the potential of the new staff team and the ‘new start’ which it offers. A qualified social worker has been recruited to oversee care plans and risk Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 8 assessments, and to develop a strong therapeutic approach to the care of young people and their family networks. Managers report high levels of patience and support from senior managers. At present the home is lacking both a home and a workforce development plan. This limits the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The interim manager is popular with the staff team and young people. He consistently interacts well with young people and has a clear grasp of their needs and their relationships with the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Despite the reorganisation of the home, staff morale is high. One staff member comments, ‘We are all working together hard and communicating well.’ There is no use of agency staff within the home, thus increasing consistency and stability for young people. Staff report that the new team has bonded well, with excellent support from managers, group supervision sessions and the two experienced members of staff who transferred into the home. Staff say that induction programmes are effective and involve a ‘handover period’ with the outgoing staff team. Staff also note that training is effective and relevant. They are keenly aware of key issues in the local community, such as the risk posed to young people by female genital mutilation. One staff member spoke with considerable enthusiasm of the learning gained from a recent training on the mental health needs of young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

At present the staff team lacks the required first aid training, limiting an important area of support for young people. One staff member is still to receive formal one-to-one supervision, despite being new to residential care work and in post for two months. This reduces formal levels of management support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers have acted to control admissions well during the period of reorganisation. Managers rigorously consider each admission to the home and the impact that new young people could have on the existing young people and the readiness of the staff team. Managers have access to the local authority’s computer information system and have strong relationships with social workers. This supports thorough assessment of the potential impact of admitting new young people and maintains the stability of the home at a vulnerable time. One young person comments, ‘I have not really noticed the changes, everything is cool.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers value the importance of placement endings for young people. One departing member of staff extended her contract to support the move on to semi-independence for one young person. The placement move was celebrated by a trip to a spa weekend and marked the ending well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is a safe and well maintained environment. Managers ensure that all necessary risk assessments are undertaken and that any repairs are completed promptly. Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 9

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 7NX

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC477205 11 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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